The Most Under Appreciated Athlete in Dallas Sports History?

The Dallas Mavericks have 10 straight 50-win seasons, they have 1 NBA Finals appearance, and the have the best European-born player in NBA history. They have no real number 2 scorer and until this year they did not have a real force in the paint. Why then do people continue to blame Dirk Nowitzki for his teams short-comings?

After another early playoff exit to the Spurs last season, Mavs fans nation-wide were calling for change, even if that meant parting ways with the franchise leader in almost every offensive category. With all do respect to said people, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

The Mavs have never won a championship. Correct. The team continues to impress in the regular season and disappear during the playoffs. Agreed, but don't dare place the blame on Dirk. All he, the 2007 NBA MVP, has done is lead his team: in scoring, to the finals, a 67-win season and 10 consecutive 50-win seasons and playoff appearances. But I guess the general population of Mavs fans is right, "Meh, what has he REALLY done for me lately?"

Shame on you.

Dirk is arguably the greatest athlete this city has ever seen, definitely the greatest Mav ever, and somehow he is taken for granted. For his career he is averaging 23 points per game and 8 rebounds per game (that includes his rookie season when he averaged only 8 points and 3 rebounds a game). That means every night, he is going out and casually pouring in invaluable totals to help his team win. For those who think Dirk is the Mavs' problem, what more can you expect him to do. Oh and by the way, those point totals jump come playoff time so don't tell me he disappears when is matters most.

The main argument I've heard against him is that he just can't seem to win a championship with this team and he never will. You know what? That may be true but listen to this. Since 1980, thats 30 NBA seasons, there have been a grand total of 8, read that number again, 8 different champions. Meanwhile, in the NFL,  there have been 8 different champions...since the year 2000.

Can we blame Dirk for not winning a championship when over the past 30 years only a quarter of the league has won a championship? It seems to me like that is a bit unfair. No one would dare say Ted Williams, the greatest hitter in baseball history, wasn't that good because he never won a championship. Dan Marino is still considered one of the top 3 quarterbacks of all-time despite the number of championships he has won, ZERO. Why is Dirk being held to a higher standard.

This is the man who recently passed Larry Bird, LARRY BIRD, for 25th on the all-time NBA Career Scoring List.

Is it Dirk's fault he never had a center to clog the middle and defend the likes of Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal in the paint? No.

Is it Dirk's fault we traded away youth and draft picks for an old, passed-his-prime point guard? No.

Dirk has done everything this organization has asked of him and more. It's about time we recognize and appreciate that.

The day Dirk Nowitzki retires and no longer is giving the Mavs 23-9 a game is the day most Mavs fans will understand his significance. You never truly appreciate what you've had until it's gone.

We are not that far removed from the days of the Mavericks being the worst team in the NBA and the days of 50+ wins and a playoff birth every year will not be here forever. Until these days past, appreciate the greatness of Dirk Nowitzki for it will not be here forever.